2018 Toyota RAV4 SUV

Incentives Provided by TMS

Financing Offer : 2.9% APR for 48 months on select Toyota RAV4 models

* Disclaimer(s)

Estimated APR and payment amount are only available on approved credit if you finance your vehicle through your selected Toyota dealer and Toyota Financial Services. Offer is available to very well qualified credit customers. Your transaction will be subject to negotiation between you and your dealer. Many variables, including current market conditions, your credit history and down payment, will affect your APR and or monthly payment and other terms. See your Toyota dealer for actual pricing including APRs, monthly payments and other terms and special offers. Offers are subject to change or termination at any time. Consult your dealer on program compatibility with other offers. Toyota Financial Services is a service mark of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation. Truth in Lending Act Disclosure:
Down payment will vary with APR and credit. For example, 2.9% APR with $2,500 down payment provides for 48 monthly payments of $22.09 per $1000 financed for qualified buyers. 2.9% APR for a term of 36 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $29.04 per $1000 financed.
2.9% APR for a term of 39 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $26.9 per $1000 financed.
2.9% APR for a term of 42 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $25.07 per $1000 financed.
3.9% APR for a term of 60 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $18.37 per $1000 financed.
4.9% APR for a term of 72 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $16.06 per $1000 financed. The rates described are for estimation purposes only; you may not be able to finance at this rate.

Incentives Provided by TMS

$1,250 offer on select Toyota RAV4 models

* Disclaimer(s)

Limit one cash offer per finance transaction. Contact dealer for information on compatibility with other cash offers and rebates. If this cash offer is displayed in your finance transaction estimate, it will be applied toward your down payment. -- Offer provided by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

Driving Impression

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The acceleration is flat, far from breathtaking. Don’t hold your breath waiting to get there. The 2.5-liter engine is smooth and refined until it’s pressed. It lacks the speed (and price) of a turbocharged four-cylinder like in the Ford Escape and Subaru Forester.

The Hybrid’s two-motor Synergy Drive system combines a 2.5-liter gas engine with a 50-kw (67-hp) electric motor that powers the rear wheels when needed for traction. It helps the 194-hp Hybrid scoot to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds, although its engine emits a tortured howl. The howl vanishes with a light-footed driver on his leisurely way to 20 mph on all-electric power, although not for long.

The all-wheel-drive system on the RAV4 splits power between the front and rear axles at the press of a button, at speeds below 25 mph.

The ride isn’t as smooth as that of the Honda CR-V or Hyundai Tucson. The LE and XLE models, with their 17-inch wheels, actually ride better than the upscale Limited and Platinum that have bigger wheels (and therefore shorter sidewalls). The SE has firmer damping in the shock absorbers, but you can barely feel it, the ride is still good.

The thick three-spoke steering wheel suggest suggests tight cornering, but it’s a big fib. The steering is nicely weighted but light on center, and delivers little road feel. The RAV4 is responsive enough, but far less sporty than a Mazda CX-5 or Ford Escape. Sport mode tightens the steering.

The transmission upshifts early at city speeds, programmed that way to save fuel. Sport mode sharpens the upshift response, and brings a throttle blip to soften hard downshifts. The paddleshifters in the SE are a bit of a fib too, because the engine can’t bring much sport to them.

Walk Around

Editor:

New Car Test Drive

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The RAV4 avoids chrome and reaps the benefits. The SE model with all black trim and black spoked wheels, in a dark maroon color, looks striking. The nose with a wide slot for a grille came in 2016, and it’s clean and sleek, with a high bumper like a bridge over a river of black fascia.

The RAV4 rides low for a compact crossover, with 6.3 inches of ground clearance. So the new Adventure with its lifted half-inch isn’t a big deal. But from the side view it’s conspicuous, widening the gap in the wheelwell over the tire. It looks awkward.

Interior Overview

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The RAV4 cabin is well organized. There’s good interior room, good build quality, and good materials in most models, with lots of soft-touch surfaces, while the entry-level LE uses dreary, hard plastics. We like both the base fabric (optionally heated on the XLE) and the SofTex synthetic leather. The instrument panel holds a digital display, and a 7-inch touchscreen is available.

The driver gets a carlike position on a comfortable seat, though the LE manual seats aren’t as supportive or bolstered as the power seats in the XLE. There more seating space than in the Ford Escape, and about the same as the Honda CR-V. There’s contrast stitching on the fabric seats of the LE, while upper trims use SofTex faux leather.

The rear seats are flat, hard, and unsupportive. The good news is it’s easy for tall people to suffer, as the large rear doors make it easy for them to climb in and out. And the seatbacks recline for them, or fold for cargo space.

Cargo space is cavernous: 38.4 cubic feet with the seats up, and 73.4 cubic feet with them down. And a low floor makes loading cargo easy. There used to be a third row in the RAV4, in the previous generation, but not now.

Four levels of Entune touchscreen audio are available. The top two include a comprehensive app suite, but there’s no provision for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

A lot more sound-deadening materials were added in 2016, and the RAV4 remains very quiet inside. But the doors deliver a tinny thud as they close, despite those materials.

Summary

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New Car Test Drive

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RAV4 is slow and gets below-average fuel mileage. But it’s roomy, comfortable and good-looking, easy to live with. The fabric upholstery in the base LE is good and it has a rearview camera. A well-equipped all-wheel-drive 33-mpg Hybrid retails for less than $30,000.

Sam Moses contributed to this review, with staff reports.

Model Lineup

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The 2018 Toyota RAV4 is available in 16 models. RAV4 LE ($24,410) comes with front-wheel drive, air conditioning, fabric seats, 17-inch steel wheels, and AM/FM/CD audio with a 6.1-inch touchscreen.

All-wheel-drive ($1400) is an option on any model. (All prices are MSRP and do not include destination charge.